Pawns, Rooks, and Queens
by Tenshi no Nozomi
Summary: There’s never just one copy of any book in existence. Sarah’s copy of The Labyrinth has one brother copy. And where should that book happen to find itself but in the possession of Tsukino Usagi? Labyrinth cross. Chapter One is up!
1. Prologue: Of Beginnings

Pawns, Rooks, and Queens 

Prologue : Of History

**Started:** September 19th, 2005

**Finished: **September 19th, 2005

**Beta'd: **Sailor Ronin Usa-chan (September 20th, 2005) and Pokahydee (September 20th, 2005)

**Author:** Tenshi no Nozomi

**Contact at:** lasohaney(at)tamu(dot)edu

OR

tenshi(underscore)no(underscore)nozomi(at)hotmail(dot)com

**Summary:** There's never just one copy of any book in existence—Sarah's book has one brother. And where should that book happen to find itself but in the possession of Tsukino Usagi? Labyrinth x Sailor Moon cross.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure, Comedy, Romance

**Background info:** set after Sarah's defeat of the Labyrinth. Sailor Moon setting is more… ambiguous, but it's definitely after ChibiUsa's arrival and after her discovery of the senshis' identities (or however that went; it's been a long time since I watched that arc).

**Pairings:** future Jareth/Usagi (?)

**Disclaimer:** Only in my wildest and most inappropriate dreams have I ever owned Jareth. Good God, though, do I wish. At any rate: the Labyrinth is property of one Jim Henson, God bless the good man's soul. Neither do I own Sailor Moon or any of it's subsequent characters included and/or mentioned in this fic. Takeuchi and various other companies lay claim to that. I'm just borrowing for creative usage. This fic was also inspired by a multitude of wonderful Labyrinth fics (and when I say multitude, I do mean that I've read A LOT of them) and my desire to see a good Labyrinth fic… that gets finished. XD And I think my oneechan would agree to that.

**Author's Notes:**

I have seen, in my past five or so years on this site, about five or six different Labyrinth crossovers with SM. I have never read any of them. Yes, it crossed my mind, because I do love the Labyrinth—I have ever since I was a little kid; I own a copy of it on dvd (two really, but one of em I gave to my mom)—but I hesitated. Why, you might ask (if you care)? Because I was afraid. In my mind, the Labyrinth is something like a masterpiece—it never gained the popularity that it should have; the idea was incredible, innovative, and well-executed, especially given the technology for that time period.

I've kind of always wanted to do a Labyrinth crossover. The idea and the characters are too marvelous to leave alone. But I've been rather intimidated, until recently—I only now feel that I have the talent to do the movie any justice. I hope that I'm right in assuming so; if this goes over well, I also plan on writing a Forbidden Game cross (can I hear some noise from the L.J. Smith fans? I know you're out there!)

I promise that despite the length of my author's notes, I am now drawing to a close. I do have a few things I do want to say. This fic will not completely follow Sarah's journey—yes, familiar faces will pop in, but I want to leave this fic feeling like I've accomplished something, instead of copying. So expect some original characters. I do also intend to acknowledge that Sarah's journey has been complete. I feel I would be doing the original story a great disfavor by ignoring it.

If you have never seen the Labyrinth and are planning to read this fic, I do suggest watching the Labyrinth. It is not necessary to your understanding of the story, however it's such a good movie I do promise that you won't regret it (and if you don't like it, I will simply be shocked, appalled, and devastated XD ). It is currently available in dvd format, and you can probably rent it at Netflix on dvd. I don't know about Blockbuster… I'm not sure how good they are about updating older movies to dvd copies. Try asking your friends about it too—chances are one of them will know about.

All of that said… I hope you all enjoy this. Oh, oh! One last thing before I forget. Hee hee. The title of this fic is based on chess, but you probably already knew that. I chose it because it's kind of a reminder that all of life—and even the labyrinth itself—is something like a strategic game/puzzle. X3

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Long ago, in a tiny town in Germany, a small book was published and bound, and circulated a very little bit. It was a book about a fairytale, in which a young woman wished her child to be carried away by the Goblin King—and so he took it. The story chronicled her journey through a marvelous though treacherous labyrinth, where at the end she defeated the Goblin King and was rewarded by the return of her child. It was just a single fairytale in a time of many, and it was ill fated that it never received the attention it ought to have.

For the truth was that the Labyrinth was a true story. The author's own grandmother had been the fair maiden of legend, and the story was handed down through the family, until the grandson attempted to share it with the world. His attempt failed for the most part; he published thirteen editions, few of which sold.

Of the thirteen, most were destroyed—six in a fire that claimed the storyteller's life as well, three more were destroyed through careless handling over the ages and then thrown away like so much garbage, one was destroyed by water, and one was buried with an elderly woman who loved it too much to let it go. The remaining two gathered dust and age, and became brittle—pages were torn or lost or ruined, the binding wore and gave out, words became smudged by countless fingerprints. They too would have been lost to time if it had not been for an American publisher rummaging through an old and used bookstore one day.

The woman who happened upon the copies was astonished to find not one, but two copies. Both were damaged, and alone would have been disappointing in that they did not contain the story in their entirety, however together, they formed the legend that once was. She was so charmed by the books that she took them back with her to America to be published.

She succeeded in her goal of translating and republishing, but her success was marginal, too. The story seemed cursed, in that very few of the volumes published survived or were bought—the printer from which the copies were coming went under financially, and few were actually published. The story garnered little attention in a world in which most children were glued to their tv sets and fairy tales needed to be accompanied by pictures and told in small words in order for them to be understood. In time, there were few copies left. So few, in fact, that they were narrowed down to two once more.

One copy came into the possession of a woman by the name of Linda Williams. She was a young mother at the time, only 23, and an aspiring actress. She bought the book on a whim from a used bookseller, but found that it was not entirely to her taste. Her daughter Sarah fell in the love with the story from the first time it was read to her, however, and so when Linda left her family for a career and a new young man, she left the book to her daughter, one of her only keepsakes.

Sarah grew up, but kept the book close to her heart. In time, she became quite lovely, and aspired to follow in her mother's footsteps to become an actress. At the age of fifteen, her father remarried a woman by the name of Karen, upsetting the family dynamic that Sarah had known for nearly ten years of her life. Karen did not understand her stepdaughter, and despite her attempts to get to know her, Sarah remained resolute in her desire not to accept the new woman in her life. She felt that in doing so, she would betray her mother's memory.

So it was that Sarah turned to the world of her books and fantasy and acting to distract her from the alienation she felt at home. It was the one shining beacon in her otherwise dreary life. Time passed, and a little less than a year later, Karen gave birth to a baby boy whom they named Toby. Feeling further alienated from her family, Sarah sank deeper still into the sanctuary of her imagination.

One night, when her mother and father went out to dinner and left Sarah to take care of the baby, she tried to quiet him while he threw a tantrum, as babies are prone to do. She told him a story, but not just any story—she began to tell him the tale of the Labyrinth. In a moment of equal amounts of desperation and frustration, Sarah wished for her baby brother to be taken away by the goblins.

Much to Sarah's surprise and dismay, her wish was granted. The Goblin King came to take the baby away, offering to her in return her dreams. Sarah chose instead to follow the same path the original maiden had taken and traversed the giant labyrinth, passed the Goblin City, and braved the king's castle for the sake of her brother. She succeeded in the end, and she and her brother were returned to their home with no one the wiser as to what had taken place.

That story, however, accounts for the presence of only one book. There was one other book in the world, waiting for a certain person to take it and do with it what the story had always planned to happen. Because the story of the Labyrinth chronicled true events involving magic, it held a little magic itself, and in held some respect had a certain will. That will was not to spread the story over the earth, but just to one person.

The story had been searching for that person for many, many years, and in order to achieve its quest had to allow for it's previous publishing and republishing. It felt no need for a thousand editions, however—two would be plenty. It had hoped that Sarah Williams would be the solution. Her spirit was vivacious, and she seemed to have some spark of magic that could kindle the fires necessary. When she refused her dreams, however, the Labyrinth knew that Sarah could not be the answer to its question. As it was, however, this setback did not pose a serious problem—the other volume had already made its way to a very different home.

While it's brethren copy was in the possession of Linda Williams, the other copy bided its time in a half-price bookshop until a Japanese photographer on a trip to America happened by the book. He was on a business trip, but had promised his wife a souvenir from his trips. Being fluent in English, he was able to read the book, and decided that his wife or his young daughter would enjoy the fairytale.

So he took it home with him, and had it privately translated so that his wife—who dealt with foreigners less and found English harder to read—could read it. Ikuko Tsukino found the book to be a delightful fairytale, but even more than she enjoyed it, so did her daughter Usagi Tsukino.

Like Sarah was, Usagi was a young girl who appreciated the idea of kingdoms and love and magic, and fervently believed and wished for the story to be true. While she couldn't read for the first several years of her childhood, Usagi had her mother read it to her so often that she knew it by heart before she could even read it herself. So in the same way that Sarah held that spark of magic, so did Usagi.

During her teenage years, Usagi found herself distracted by an entirely different magic than that of the Labyrinth. Through fate and rebirth, Usagi inherited the powers of her former self—that of the heir to the Moon Kingdom, the Princess Serenity, who died young and in love. It was a romantic notion, one that spurred her belief in her old fairytales to life. No longer did she treat them as other teenagers might—with bemusement and perhaps remorse for childhood dreams long gone—but as a young woman who took the story as truth. Her added experience and further experiences with magic ignited the energy latent in the book, signaling that a second possibility had opened itself up.

However, not once did she recite the words that would open the floodgates. She had one younger brother, but even he was too old to be taken, and at any rate, she didn't have the desire to say such a thing. Nor did she have the nerve, taking the story to heart. So the situation appeared to be at a stalemate. That was, at least until a younger girl came to reside with the Tsukino family—her name was ChibiUsa.

ChibiUsa was a young, willful girl who forced herself upon the Tsukino family, claiming to be a young cousin. She too possessed powerful magic—with this magic she was able to trick most of the family into accepting her for who she claimed to be. In truth, however, she was actually Usagi's daughter from a very distant future, brought to the past for various reasons.

This girl's presence, at last, gave the Labyrinth room to work. She was a petulant, willful child, but more than that she possessed magic. Strong magic that, with or without true belief in what she was said would allow for something magical to happen. A lack of belief would even be to the book's benefit—she would not inhibit herself if she didn't believe it would truly happen.

This is where the real story begins.

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Wow… I really cranked that out, didn't I? Just one evening—one sitting even. Granted, it's short, but that's not what matters. Anyhow, that's just the prologue, folks—the other chapters will be much longer, I promise, and much less boring. I felt it necessary to set the story up in this certain way, as silly as it sounds, because this is all about fairytales, and fairytales have a particular way of opening/being told. I will not, however, continue to dictate the story using that voice. It's uncomfortable for me to sustain for long periods of time. XD

Anyhow… please be a good reader and review—comments, questions, complaints, critique… all are welcomed! Critiques in particular will garner you extra brownie points with me. X3 Just press the nice little review button or send me an email at either of the addresses listed above. Remember that authors can't get better without reader input! (And I always love to hear what people think.)


	2. Chapter One: Of Wishes

Pawns, Rooks, and Queens

Chapter One : Of Wishes

**Started:** September 20th, 2005

**Finished: **August 9th, 2006

**Author:** Tenshi no Nozomi

**Contact at:** lasohaney(at)tamu(dot)edu

**Summary:** There's never just one copy of any book in existence—Sarah's book has one brother. And where should that book happen to find itself but in the possession of Tsukino Usagi? Labyrinth x Sailor Moon cross.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure, Comedy, Romance

**Background info:** set after Sarah's defeat of the Labyrinth. Sailor Moon setting is more… ambiguous, but it's definitely after Chibiusa's arrival and after her discovery of the scout's identity (or however that went; it's been a long time since I watched that arc).

**Pairings:** future Jareth/Usagi

**Warnings:** not entirely Usagi-centric, some fluff, some original characters, Jareth's tights (oolala XD)…

**Disclaimer:** (please note that you won't be seeing this again—I mean, just look how lengthy it is!)

Only in my wildest and most ffn-inappropriate dreams have I ever owned Jareth. Good God, though, do I wish. At any rate: The Labyrinth is property of one Jim Henson, God bless the good man's soul. Neither do I own Sailor Moon or any of the series's subsequent characters included and/or mentioned in this fic. Takeuchi and various other companies lay claim to that. I'm just borrowing for creative usage. This fic was also inspired by a multitude of wonderful Labyrinth fics (and when I say multitude, I do mean that I've read quite a few of them) and my desire to see a good Labyrinth/SM fic… that gets finished.

On another note. The plot in this story is mine. I know that there are plenty return-to-the-labyrinth style fics as well as save-the-labyrinth style fics, so perhaps one of the basic ideas is not necessarily original. In fact, I imagine that many of the ideas in this fic will be similar in some way to other ideas present in Labyrinth fics—more often than not when trying to explain how things work and what makes characters tic people come to similar conclusions. None of this is directly lifted, however, or purposefully written to be similar to any other pieces I have read.

There will be original elements and characters in this story that I will claim as my own. I can't imagine anyone wanting to mess with them, but if for some reason that desire should arise… please just be respectful and give credit where it's due.

**Author's Notes: **Wow, onto chapter one. As you might have guessed, this chapter is where the exciting stuff starts. Hooray! If you've read the warnings, by the way, you might notice that this fic is not entirely Usagi-centric. Yes, she's the only one with romantic possibilities, but a lot of the story will also be centered around other characters. You'll see who and why in a while.

I apologize for how long this took to come out most sincerely. It always takes me a long while to write things. Inspiration comes and goes, and I just do the best I can. I can say that I already have over 10 pages written for the next chapter, which I hope to have essentially ready shortly because I don't know if I'll have much time/energy to devote to it after college starts up in about two weeks.

I AM CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A BETA. :3 If you're interested, or know someone who would be, please email me. And not to be cruel, but I need someone who kicks ass with grammar/diction and is also familiar enough with both The Labyrinth and Sailor Moon to be of assistance with balancing characterization correctly.

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Usagi watched her parents' car pull out of the driveway. From the dining room window, she could see her mother wave to her while she put on her seatbelt. Usagi smiled and waved back, even though her mother wasn't looking anymore. Her father readjusted his rearview mirror one last time as they reached the street. She watched them straighten out on the street and then drive away.

Usagi sighed to herself, feeling a mixture of dread and relief. Relief that at long last she could take a break from her studying. Usagi's latest report card had gotten her grounded, and the only thing she was allowed to do now was study. Dread loomed in that it was a Saturday night that she would have the privilege of spending the time with ChibiUsa.

Shingo had escaped. Shingo was spending the night at a friend's house, probably spending the time playing video games and eating junk food. Usagi sorely missed her time that she spent with her friends—she had not done anything in nearly two weeks but go to school, come home, study, eat, and sleep. It was the most boring routine that she'd ever had to stick to.

And now it was made worse by the fact that Chibiusa didn't have any friends at the day care she stayed at, or even from school. Usagi had to admit that for such a little girl, she was awfully opinionated and bratty, daughter from the future or not. Discovering that Usagi was her future mother hadn't helped the situation at all—it had, in fact, just made it harder for Usagi to deal with.

Usagi had hoped that this would help improve Chibiusa's disposition, but she persisted in behaving the same way as usual. She taunted Usagi, tattled on her when she was caught trying to glimpse some T.V., hung all over Mamoru, and in general did her best to make her life miserable. Usagi still wasn't sure just what she'd done to merit the little terror's hostility, but she doubted that it mattered. If Usagi ever had a say in it, she would have a long talk with her future-self on the benefits of raising a child with discipline.

So tonight Usagi would play babysitter. Only… she was mostly powerless. Chibiusa was prone to throwing tantrums if things didn't go her way. Worse still, when her parents got home she'd twist the situation to make it appear that Usagi had mistreated her. Chibiusa was the one who was really in control and they both knew it.

She could hear footsteps coming down the stairs just now. '_Wonderful.' _Usagi closed her eyes. '_God give me stength,'_ she begged. Usagi then sat down on the couch and averted her eyes to look down at her chemistry book. Just one look at the combination of letters and numbers made her head spin. If only she could just pretend to study… and still ace the test…

"Usagi," a high pitched voice announced, "I'm bored!" Usagi peeked at the younger girl out of the corner of her eyes, trying to be discreet. _Maybe if I ignore her she'll go away,_ she thought. It was worth a shot.

That shot cost her her eardrums. "Usagi," Chibiusa practically screamed right beside Usagi's right ear. Usagi jumped up, trying her best not to curse. _What a terrible, terrible little brat_, Usagi thought vehemently. Oh, how she hated Chibiusa sometimes!

"What is it? I'm trying to study," Usagi pointed out, still clutching at her ear. She tried giving Chibi-Usa a stern glare, but it fizzled out under the heat of Chibi-Usa's look. For a seven-year-old, she certainly was accomplished with that expression. Who'd taught her to glare like that? Mamoru? Rei? She needed to be sure to thank them in the future in some equally nasty way.

"I'm bored," Chibiusa repeated, as though that explained everything that was wrong in the world. Usagi just rolled her eyes; heaven only knew that the world must revolve around her future daughter. "Play with me."

"I can't play with you," Usagi explained, trying to be civil. "I have to do homework. Why don't you watch a movie?"

"I've already watched all the movies," Chibiusa responded stubbornly.

Usagi's false smile felt like it was stretched too tight. "Well, why don't you turn on the tv?"

"There's nothing good on," the little girl parried.

Usagi felt like her smile was going to break right off. "Why don't you read a book?" She suggested.

"I don't like books."

Usagi stared at Chibiusa like the little girl had sprouted a second—and uglier—head. Granted, Usagi was not a bookworm by any means—she would never be like Ami. But back when she'd been Chibiusa's age, she'd been in love with fairytales and books about knights and princesses and faraway lands filled with dragons and witches and goblins and ghouls.

Hearing those words pass from that little girl's lips was something akin to blasphemy—what kind of values _had _her future self instilled upon her daughter? Some day Usagi would like to meet her future self during her pregnancy and remind her future self of the many grievances she'd suffered at the pink-haired monster's hands.

And that brought an idea to mind. In her head, she could practically see that little red book on her shelf. She kept it carefully dusted and set aside; it was the only book she treasured with such obsessive tenderness. "Hold on just a moment," Usagi informed Chibiusa, who looked puzzled.

"Where are you going?" Chibiusa called. Usagi grinned, but she did not answer—it would be a surprise. And what a treat! Usagi felt practically giddy. Her mother had shared this story with her countless times when she was just a girl. Now Usagi, too, would get to share it with her future daughter. There was a strange feeling to that—it was easier to think of Chibiusa as a cousin, even though that was avoiding the truth. Still, it felt awkward to consider the child her daughter. At the same time, acting in anyway motherly toward the young girl brought forth a heady inner glow, though it would often fade to awkwardness and discomfort.

Usagi ran up the stairs and entered her room, heading for her bookshelf without hesitation. And there it was, just sitting there on her shelf, waiting for her. Usagi smiled; her expression was tinged with equal wistful and happy feelings–this book was one of the highlights of her childhood. It had kindled her imagination in a way that no other fairytale had. In fact, in a way that no other book had. It was the only proof of sorts that Usagi had that books weren't an entire waste of time.

Usagi turned to leave the room and glimpsed something strange at the window. She stopped and stared. It was an owl.

Granted, it was the evening. It was getting darker. But Usagi knew that most owls wouldn't come so close to people or peoples' houses. Certainly not while it was still light out. And this one was staring right at her from the tree outside her window.

It was a normal looking owl, she supposed. It had a white, heart-shaped kind of face with a tiny straw colored beak and white belly. A strange golden line of feathers separated his head from his body where his neck might be. She suspected that the underside of his wings was white, too. But his back and the tops of his wings and even his tail feathers were golden, fading to deeper and darker and more burnt shades of brown at the tips. His eyes were pitch-black but keen—she could feel a strange sort of intelligence peeking out at her. **(1)**

It was a majestic looking bird, all said. But there was something too intelligent about the bird, the way it looked at her–no, the way it _stared _at her. An involuntary blush began to creep across her cheeks and down her neck. It wasn't just the feeling of being looked at, but evaluated. What was this bird doing here? A strange sweat and trembling began to creep across Usagi–she felt funny, but she just couldn't bring herself to turn away.

"What are you doing, meatball head?" Chibiusa demanded. Usagi jumped and her paralysis was broken. She turned her head to look at the younger girl who was standing in the doorway, hands planted firmly on her hips. She looked exactly like Ikuko when Usagi had a bad grade to report. "Well?"

Usagi smiled. "Oh, well, uhm. I kind of got distracted," Usagi stuttered nervously, finally getting over whatever had overcome her. "You see, there was this bird—" She motioned to the window, and gaped. The owl was gone.

"What bird? I don't see one," Chibiusa asked, sounding suspicious.

Usagi smiled tentatively. This was all just a little too weird, even for her. Birds like that shouldn't just appear and then disappear as the sun was setting. Owls were supposed to be nocturnal, right? And there were no barns nearby for something like that to live in.

'_Just shake it off,'_ she instructed herself. '_You've seen weirder things.' _But that didn't make it not weird, and it didn't really make her feel better. An unsettled feeling remained in the pit of her stomach. "Well, there was an owl in the tree outside… but never mind," Usagi explained, dismissing the incident.

Chibiusa continued to stare at her skeptically, but finally seemed to forgive Usagi for her neurotic impulses. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the little red book in her hands.

"Ah!" Usagi exclaimed, excited now. "_This_," Usagi said, "is my favorite book ever. I think you'll like it, too, if you'll give it a shot," Usagi explained. She held the book out to Chibiusa to take.

And what did the pink-haired brat do? Accept her gift? Say, "thank you, but no thank you?" Ask Usagi why she liked it so much? Ask her to read it to her? No. Oh, no.

Instead, the pink-haired little spore turned her nose up at it. "I already told you, I don't like books."

Usagi could already feel that she was on the losing end of this battle. Why, oh why, did her parents have to leave? Usagi spared another worried glance at her window—there was nothing unusual out there now, just the bare tree—before heading downstairs.

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"Are you sure Usagi's alright taking care of Chibiusa alone?" Ami asked again. She sounded just as skeptical as when she'd asked five minutes ago. Ami thought she had every right to feel the way she did, knowing Usagi and her behavior the way she did. Everyone knew the way that Chibiusa and Usagi acted together–like two Hydrogen atoms being fused together. **(2)**

"For the _last time,_ Ami," Rei groaned, "she'll be just _fine._" Rei ate another few kernels of kettle popcorn, savoring the combination of the sweet and salty flavor on her tongue. "She's eighteen now. She can handle a seven year old."

Luna looked up from where she had been dozing on Minako's pillow, snuggled next to Artemis. "I'm not sure if I could quite agree with you on that one. She's still quite childish," she commented, before resting her head back down in its spot and closing her eyes again. Lazy purring shortly followed this comment–a sure sign she'd already drifted back to sleep.

"I think that Usagi can handle Chibiusa for a couple hours. She's not all _that_ bad. I mean, sure, she throws fits sometimes, and she's a little selfish, but little kids are like that." That was Makoto's opinion. She didn't tear her eyes away from the chic flick on the television screen once.

"If she needs help, she'll call," Minako reassured Ami from where she'd sprawled herself out in Ami's mother's plush white recliner.

Ami just shook her head. Usagi had a propensity for getting herself into trouble even without little kids involved. Why, she'd never forget that time she got stuck in her tv… **(3) **Ami was sure there was some kind of mathematical equation or scientific theorem to explain Usagi's ability to find and create trouble; she just wasn't sure what it was just yet.

"She can handle herself, Ami," Rei snapped one last time, before returning her attention to the tv. This was one of her favorite parts—where the best friend kicks the living daylights out of the stalker wannabe-boyfriend.

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Life in the Labyrinth had changed after Sarah's departure, and it was obvious to most of the denizens who resided there. It was evident not only in the Labyrinth itself, but also in the behavior of their King.

The Labyrinth had always been moody and was forever in the process of changing itself—it wasn't necessarily alive, but it had a consciousness of sorts. For the relatively short 13 hours that Sarah had been traversing the Labyrinth, it had changed rapidly with flamboyance and strength, spitting out the best it had to offer, fed by her imagination and strength.

Now that she was gone, the changing had slowed to a rate that even the slugs proclaimed sluggish. The denizens were worried to a degree—it seemed that some of the color had evaporated like the morning dew. Worse still, the outer barren lands were creeping slowly but steadily further into the maze itself, eating at the very livelihood of the surroundings. The outer walls were in precarious conditions, crumbling and cracking, while the moss that grew upon the walls shriveled and died. It only took one look at what was taking place to convince most of the creatures to move to "higher ground," so to speak.

Jareth became increasingly moody as time passed. The goblins—which were mostly none too bright and fairly wicked themselves—complained in secrecy and avoided their liege at all costs. To get in his way in his foulest of moments was to risk dire personal injury or else a trip to the Bog of Eternal Stench. And yet it was evident that when he was not feeling so nasty that he was changing his palace, both inside and out, and scheming all the time of something shortly to come.

And indeed, despite the imminent danger of the wasteland creeping up upon it, there seemed to be a tense air of hope flowing through the walls and plants, transferring even into the creatures themselves. The Labyrinth was expecting something, anticipating it—and hopeful. Something had gone inexplicably wrong with Sarah's arrival; there was a sensation that perhaps not all was lost.

Hoggle had been without a job since Sarah's departure. He lived in the network of Oubliettes, a non-too cheerful place, but he preferred it at least to the Bog of Eternal Stench, where both Ludo and Sir Didymus took residence. He was aware of the goings on above through the occasional passing goblin and through the talking rock faces. Jareth himself avoided the Oubliettes since they were too filthy and didn't bother to look into them very often, either. That was what an Oubliette was for, afterall—to put someone away to forget. In that way Hoggle had been successful in avoiding the Goblin King's wrath.

Hoggle had expected things to get better in some sense after Sarah had left. In some ways, they had—Hoggle no longer spent his days spraying Faeries for a meager pittance. He had friends now, friends who would come to help him should he call, and he too was braver from the experience. Sarah had helped to show him that even a Dwarf could be loyal and courageous. His fear of Jareth was not lessened, but he had the courage to face him if necessary and the ability to avoid his King otherwise.

But Sarah no longer called upon them to visit her, and Hoggle hadn't ventured above to see Sir Didymus or Luto in ages. Hoggle was forced to live underneath even the Underground, The Labyrinth was failing, crumbling, losing its luster, and even food was becoming harder to find. Hoggle suspected Sarah could do nothing to change the Labyrinth's sorry state—she'd beaten the Labyrinth, and neither it nor its King had power over her. Magic tended to be a two-edged sword; if it didn't

So when Hoggle heard that there might be some reason for the Labyrinth to be hopeful of salvation, it brought mixed feelings. Sorrow because he felt in his heart that Sarah should be the one to come to their rescue. Apprehension of what this would cause—Hoggle did not desire adventure, and although he wasn't a coward anymore per se, he had no inclination to pit himself against Jareth again. He had the distinct feeling that the man would not be forgiving. Worse still, though, was the effervescent hope-in-vain that he simply couldn't squash—perhaps whoever or whatever it was that was meant to save the Labyrinth could save him, too.

lxl

Usagi felt relieved. At long last Chibiusa had stopped her nonstop complaints, leaving Usagi mostly free to study... or to fool around. Mostly, she was wasting her time and daydreaming of anything but theorems and formulas and postulates, but every once and a while she'd gaze down at her book with a solemn look and attempt a problem. Every once and a while, Chibiusa would heave a great sigh and fidget and resettle herself five times, and roll her eyes as though begging someone for patience. Mostly, neither of them made any progress.

Chibiusa had, however, at least made more headway than Usagi. She had in fact made it through the first three pages, to the point where the young maiden had actually wished her younger brother away. Chibiusa found that idea to be rather interesting–she had no siblings herself, but Shingo and Usagi quarreled all the time. In fact, Chibiusa and Usagi had spats more often than that even, and she was her daughter! The thought of being able to wish one's problems away like that was quite attractive.

Finally, as must all good things, the silence came to an end. "I'm hungry," Chibiusa complained. Usagi had to agree somewhat; Ikuko certainly hadn't been in the mood to feed the two of them before she'd left. Usagi was well aware that the contents of the fridge were slim–leftovers from last night's dinner. Usagi didn't mind eating that–she'd eat just about anything when she was hungry–but Chibiusa tended to be pickier than she.

"We have spaghetti," she offered, but wasn't surprised at the nasty face she received at that offer. She forced herself to smile. "I think we have some macaroni and cheese." This time Chibiusa looked more agreeable to the idea. "Macaroni and cheese it is," Usagi announced, mostly to herself.

She tried not to remember the last time she'd tried to cook macaroni and cheese. Truthfully, a monkey ought to have been able to do it. Somehow, though, anything remotely similar to culinary skills had bypassed Usagi. Even when it did seem that things were going to turn out right the taste would still be terrible. Apparently the same thoughts had crossed Chibiusa's mind.

"Uh-uh," she announced, changing her mind quite rapidly. "I want popcorn." Usagi was always so stubborn about these things; she never let her have any fun. Chibiusa had trouble believing that this girl was supposed to be her mother in the future; it just seemed impossible. She was clumsy, she was inelegant, and she was mean to boot—none of these were qualities her mother possessed.

Usagi smiled just a little; this was getting old. Fast. "Popcorn's a snack, not dinner."

"Well, at least you can cook it," Chibiusa pointed out. "Besides, I really want popcorn," she added quite stubbornly. Maybe if she pushed just a little harder, Usagi would change her mind.

Usagi decided then that she'd had enough of being bossed around already. She was the one in charge here, not the seven year old. Enough was enough. "Look, mom wouldn't let you have popcorn for dinner, so I won't either"–

"At least your mom can cook," Chibiusa sneered, pouting.

She glanced back down at the page. She could understand why the girl in this book would want to wish away a baby. Right now, Chibiusa wished that she could wish Usagi away. Then she could have all the popcorn she could possibly eat.

There was something about the way the words glared up at her at the page, simple but somehow loud. The text wasn't any bolder, not a different font, but the dark black of the ink glared up at her like the deep fathoms of space between the stars. It was practically daring her to try it. She could practically hear it taunting her—'_Come on, you know you want to_.'

If looks could kill, then the glare Usagi sent her future daughter would have earned her a long jail sentence. "That's not the point. The point is that popcorn's not a choice. Got it?"

Chibiusa stuck her bottom lip out and sent her own glares back at her mother. Seeing that the older girl wasn't wavering, she finally stuck out her tongue and responded with a huff, "Fine." Again, the idea of wishing Usagi away came back to mind–she could practically taste the words on her tongue. Indeed, she was so compelled to speak the words that it felt like her taste buds were gently sizzling.

Usagi could have breathed a giant sigh of relief. Usagi 1, Chibiusa 0. Luna would definitely be proud of her. Usagi left the living room in her quest to the kitchen, presumably to cook macaroni without burning the house down. She never made it.

ChibiUsa finally let the words go–she simply couldn't hold the compulsion in any longer. Maybe if she'd been older and had more patience, or had been wiser of the way the world worked, or if she even thought for half a minute about what her magic might make her capable of then she wouldn't have said it. There was some sort of psychological satisfaction in using the book Usagi had forced upon her to insult her, though.

"I wish that goblins would come and take you away!"

Usagi could have sworn her heart skipped a beat; she had never uttered those words, not once. When she was little, as fascinating a character as the Goblin King was, she'd been frightened by the goblins in the story. However much she disliked Shingo at times she didn't want him to live with goblins. And she would never have even dreamed of doing so knowing that magic was very real. It was too dangerous, possessing magic and saying words that might activate a spell; she'd heard it said that even in the tallest tails there was always a grain of truth.

She felt like shooting off her mouth back at the younger girl, despite how immature acting on such impulses would be. Instead, she found she couldn't speak at all. Usagi tried to work her mouth into words–'What?' she wanted to say, just for starters. But her jaw felt like it was frozen. Quite frankly, she couldn't move at all. She was caught in mid-stride, as though her muscles had all seized up and now she was made of stone.

Her skin was registering strange sensations: of cold winds blowing and tiny, rough, grubby fingers touching her. She could hear voices, too. Strange, squeaky, gravely, whispering, muttering voices, but not a distinguishable word amongst them. Her body felt heavy but something held her up still. Was it those hands? Or something else? These sensations would have been disturbing if she could think straight.

A blanket of velvet warmth had wrapped around her mind and left it numb and dizzy and sleepy. Vaguely she realized that she was falling--to the floor?--but as her eyes closed she couldn't quite manage to make herself care. It was out of her hands now.

The Ginzuisho blazed brightly inside its broach, attempting to scare off the intruders. Without Usagi to wield its power it could only blaze blindingly bright. They hissed, defiant, unwilling to give up—He'd be so angry if they failed. They couldn't afford to fail because some piece of bespelled jewelry was trying to guard its owner.

They ripped at it, like it was terribly hot, not wanting to touch it for too long. They succeeded as a group, and the broach fell away, bouncing just a little on the carpet floor. It glittered furiously, but was otherwise discarded and harmless now. Victorious, the cold winds raised higher, the dark grew thicker around them, and the acrid smell of ozone being burned away was accompanied by a loud booming crackle like lightning had struck within the house. And when the feeling of powerful magic dissipated, Usagi had been spirited away.

lxl

"So, what should we watch next: The Phantom of the Opera or the Princess Bride?" Minako asked. Their first movie was on the end credits, but it was a Saturday night and it was a marathon. Rei had grumbled a little at the choices, but then Rei was hard to please. And Minako suspected that she simply had problems admitting she enjoyed the girly movies like the rest of them.

Sure enough, Rei complained. "Couldn't we watch some Japanese movies? I'm so tired of all of these American films," she complained. Just once it would be nice to watch something made in Japan, as far as she was concerned.

"Oh, but Rei! The Princess Bride… how can you turn that down?" Minako asked. "It's got everything! True love, revenge, swordfights, giant rats…"

Rei raised an elegant eyebrow and gave Minako a look that screamed Skepticism. "It is actually a really good movie," Makoto chipped in, seeing the look that Rei was giving Minako. Rei simply turned that same unimpressed look on Makoto. "Fine," she said with a shrug, "don't believe me—see for yourself," the brunette said with a grin.

Ami sat back down on the couch just as the phone rang from the kitchen counter. She sighed and got up; probably it was just her mother checking up on them. She was working very late that night on an emergency case. Sick kids couldn't wait until morning, after all. Ami was used to this kind of thing, but her mother still felt like it was necessary to call, since the girls were doing a slumber party and all.

Amy picked up the phone, in the middle of "Hello Mom" before she realized that the phone was buzzing. _'No one's on the other line?'_ She held the receiver away from her ear, eyeing it quizzically. The ringing continued—it hadn't been the phone, but her communicator. She took a deep breath and picked it up; Pluto's symbol emitted an eerie spectral grey glow.

The other senshi had quieted down when it became apparent that it wasn't the phone ringing. Ami informed them, "It's Setsuna," before pressing the button. A miniature version of Setsuna's face appeared on the tiny screen and Ami found herself staring into Setsuna's garnet eyes. "Hello, Setsuna. What's the matter?" From the look in the other woman's eyes, it was better to skip trivialities. And she would have called her by her senshi codename, but it seemed silly when there was no one around that shouldn't know her identity.

"Chibiusa and Usagi are in trouble," she informed them, sounding as grave and serious as ever. The others got up and made their way over to where Ami stood. They crowded close to hear Setsuna better. Ami felt her stomach twist itself into a vicious knot.

"So then they need help," she stated. It wasn't a question; obviously things were bad if Usagi hadn't contacted them about it herself. They were just lucky that Setsuna was watching out for all of them.

"Usagi is beyond our assistance at the moment," Setsuna told her, maroon eyes flashing a warning in case someone dared to interrupt or protest. Not a single one of them made a sound. "We don't have much time. But through helping her, we can help Usagi," she said.

Makoto made a strangled, inarticulate noise—Usagi was their princess, no doubt they wanted to help her first if they could. Rei was the one who got a word out first. "How could you let it get this bad without telling us," she demanded.

Setsuna's eyes flashed angrily; there was no love lost between the two of them. "I'm afraid I was a bit distracted," she admitted bitterly. Ami could feel some sympathy for the woman; she had to eternally watch time and ensure things went according to the grand design. It had to be hard to watch over everything at once.

"How can we get there in time," Ami asked, interrupting the would-be-fight. Sometimes she hated her role as peacemaker. Rei was too volatile; if she thought she could get a rise out of someone she'd pick a fight. Or maybe that was just how it felt. Right now, though, all that mattered was their future queen and princess.

The communicator went dead. Not dead, but silent—the screen switched off, the light stopped glowing. Ami inhaled deeply but the air choked on the way down her throat. What had happened? Had someone interfered? "We will go there and address the villain in person," a voice behind her said.

Ami just about had a heart attack. She dropped the communicator, which fell with a soft thwump onto the carpet. Makoto swore; Ami felt much the same way though she could never have brought herself to say it. Judging from the looks on Minako's and Rei's faces, none of them were feeling all too wonderful about Setsuna's methods. "Do you think perhaps that you could give us some warning next time?" Ami asked, trying not to sound sharp. It was hard, though—her heart felt like it was in her throat.

"I will try, but time is of the essence. We don't even have time to discuss this." As serious as Setsuna's tone implied the situation was, she looked like she always did. Serious, cold, slightly aloof. There was an edge of genuine panic in her voice, though, that said she was scared. If that were the case, then Chibiusa had to be in some real danger. Ami almost wished the woman wasn't in her senshi disguise—it might have meant the situation was slightly less dire.

Luna and Artemis made their way to where the senshi stood. Setsuna hesitated, regarding them, and the cats seemed to realize that Setsuna's hesitation was caused by their sudden presence. "We should go with you," Luna said. "We have been with these girls through thick and thin from the beginning. We're supposed to be their guardians."

"I understand that you two are well worth your weight in gold in knowledge when it comes to fighting the Dark Kingdom and the various youma that have attacked. And without your help these girls would no doubt have never made it this far. But this is not a matter you can be of help in."

"Why not?" Artemis asked, genuinely puzzled. "What makes this so different?"

Setsuna shook her head. "I swear that I do not have time for proper explanations. We do not go off to fight any creature that has ever existed as a part of the Dark Kingdom. And I am afraid that my fellow senshi will have to do much more to set things right. Where they may go… you would be considered easy prey."

They all stared at Setsuna in disbelief. Youmas had targeted the cats previously on a few occasions, but mostly only to shut them up. Never had any of the youma attacked the guardians with the attempt to eat them. Rei felt a sensation of dread gathering in the pit of her stomach. The only thing that could possibly pose a real threat to the cats—who were plenty intelligent and possessed magic to out maneuver wild animals—had to be some kind of monster. A monster that wasn't the run of the mill youma.

"Very well," Luna acquiesced. Ami thought that Luna would have fought if there had been time—the cats had been with them in many dangerous situations—but Setsuna's tone must have impressed the cats in a way that hadn't bothered the senshi. _'Perhaps it didn't have anything to do with what Setsuna said,' _Ami realized. _'Could it be they smell the fear on her?'_ Luna looked quite disgruntled, and Artemis looked equally troubled. "Then we will wait here for your return. If time is so short, though, then please hurry."

Ami had expected that with all of this abruptness that Rei would be itching for a fight. Ami was surprised when she stepped up with a calmness that disguised how irritated the priestess must have felt inside. "Then let's go." She took Ami's right hand and reached for Setsuna's with her free hand. Quietly, they formed the hand-linked ring that would allow for the magic teleportation.

Ami just prayed it wasn't too late. She imagined they all were.

llxxxll

(1) – Jareth takes on the form of a barn owl. I was wondering if barn owls are actually indigenous to Japan and finally managed to find a website that mentioned that barn owls DO live in Japan–apparently they're found on all the continents but Antarctica. Anyhow... thought that might be a point of interest.

(2) – Two hydrogen atoms fused together cause a nuclear explosion.

(3) – Haha! Okay, no one's going to understand that, but it's an allusion to one of the first fics I started writing but never finished. ; Ah, well.

Okay. Please R&R—concrit is rewarded with cookies and much love. Quick shout-outs to previous reviewers: Yami Nocturna, Hellin Lote, Shannan, Queen Diamond, Jay Ficlover, Amanda, Zodiac1231, Lady-Slytherin-Snape, AuthoressCrest, Shi-no-aki, and Ceris Malfoy. Thanks so much!

Thanks also to Red Fawks for her helpful advice, without which this chapter might not have progressed from the half-finished whelp it was on my LiveJournal post. :3

I have a couple of replies to some of my reviewers who left particular comments I want to address. I'd love to talk to all of you, so by all means… leave more than 'cool story' for me and we'll chat. :D Well, sorta.

**Ceris Malfoy:** I haven't quit, I'm just so slow. XD My problem is I start something, leave it resting for months at a time—sometimes seasons—and then come back to it when I feel inspired again.

**Lady-Slytherin-Snape:** I'm pretty sure that the movie isn't based on an actual book. I mean, it is in the movie, but… it's an in-plot thing. I know there's supposed to be some kind of manga/graphic novel version released by Tokyopop in the next year or two, and some kind of continuation of the story revolving around Toby.

**Jay Ficlover:** I really appreciate your willingness to assist me in my story, it's thoughtful of you, and the sentiment is appreciated. But in the same way that you want your ideas not to go to waste I have my own hopes for my stories, and I want to see how far my mind can get me alone. I hope you're not offended by my refusal. It's nothing personal, and I don't mean it to be mean in any way.

**Queen Diamond**: I agree, it IS very disappointing. I hope I can do better. I'm terribly slow in getting things out, but in some ways I'd rather not compromise my writing.

**Shannan:** Oh, I wish I could. That's one of the few things I'm truly very bad about. Please hang in there with me, though. I'm in this one for the long haul!

**Hellin Lote:** That is honestly fascinating. I think that scene has to be every little girl's favorite (or near favorite—I always loved the Fiery Gang). It was just beautiful. Some day if I ever get up to NY—I live pretty far away—I'll have to go check it out.


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